If you’re into horror movies, there’s a good chance you already subscribe to the streaming service Shudder, or you’ve at least considered it. Shudder houses some of the best horror movies on streaming, from all time classics of the genre right up to ongoing releases of their own Shudder Originals.
Their selection covers everything a horror fan could dream of: haunted houses, slasher killers, zombies, vampires, body horror, cosmic monsters, supernatural shockers, witches, folk horror, found footage, and all manner of meditations on the darkness that humans can do. What's more it's also where some of the best upcoming horror movies will head when they're released.
There’s a lot to choose from so we’re here to help you narrow things down a little with our list of the best films to currently stream on Shudder, and among the choices that tick off the styles and subgenres above, we’re recommending movies that provide scares spanning the globe from Australia to Spain, Korea to Canada, Norway to Japan, France to Argentina, Italy to Mexico and, perhaps obviously, the UK to America.
With everything from big names to underseen gems, our list will provide viewers with tons of options to revisit old favorites and to discover new ones.
So sign in and get adding to your watchlist because here’s our pick of the 25 best films currently available on Shudder, for all your streaming (dis)pleasure.
25. Frontier(s) (2007)
For an unhealthy dose of New French Extremity, look no further than Xavier Gens’ ultra-gory Frontier(s), in which a gang of thieves flee Paris during the violent aftermath of an election, only to end up locked in a vicious battle for survival after hiding out at an inn run by a psychotic neo-nazi family. It’s a visceral, confrontational film that embodies much of the hyper-violent horror of the mid-2000s while throwing in some political themes to bring further tension to proceedings. Film academic Alexandra West notes that Frontier(s) is "about the evolution of the extreme right in France," and that it explores the "untended elements of society, the sections which are allowed to remain in realities that no longer exist in urban settings." It’s an unerring piece of cinematic brutality that’s well worth your time – even if it’s just the once.
24. Alison’s Birthday (1981)
This lesser-known gem from director Ian Coughlan is a fantastic example of Australian folk horror and the occult. The film centers around Alison, a teenage girl who is warned via a Ouija board not to go home for her 19th birthday, but who, of course, ignores the portent only to return to her aunt and uncle’s house in Sydney where a sinister ritual awaits, finding herself in the midst of an ancient supernatural drama of which her own family are the custodians. It’s a grainy slice of cultish goings on in suburban Australia, with antics not too dissimilar to body-takeover films like The Skeleton Key and Get Out.
23. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021)
With A24’s I Saw The TV Glow currently causing a buzz, all eyes are on filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun so there’s no better time to check out their feature debut We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, a captivating tale of online voyeurism and manipulation. The superb Anna Cobb plays an isolated teen embroiled in an internet urban legend/folktale, beautifully portraying the conflict between online personas and real life. Amplified with sicky monitor lighting and an excellent indy electronic score, the horror ranges from the uncanny to the truly gross. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair builds on the legacy of similar films like Pulse and Megan is Missing, pulling the viewer along in a satisfying, unsettling watch.
22. Caveat (2020)
This Shudder Original directed by Damian McCarthy is an underseen gem and one of the scariest newer horror films on the streamer. In an abandoned house on an isolated island, a man accepts a job ‘babysitting’ his landlord’s niece, but the catch is that he has to wear a leather harness and chain that limits his movements to certain rooms. Of course there are various horrific discoveries in store, including an alarming toy rabbit and a moment with a tea cozy that will haunt your dreams. Caveat is 88 minutes of taught psychological dread and terror that deserves to be seen by more people.
21. Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017)
Before she helmed the fourth season of the anthology crime drama True Detective, Issa Lopez directed the critically acclaimed Mexican horror film Tigers Are Not Afraid. It’s a hauntingly dark fairytale set against the backdrop of Mexico’s devastating drug wars, that follows a group of orphaned children armed with three wishes as they try to escape reality along with supernatural forces and the cartel that murdered their parents. With beautiful performances from the kids and Lopez’s deft use of magical realism, Tigers Are Not Afraid is creepy, shocking and even funny in places, and it has a lot of heart – in fact you might just find it breaks yours into pieces.
20. Late Night With the Devil (2023)
Late Night With the Devil is a film that loomed large over horror cinema in 2023. Brothers Cameron and Colin Cairnes made their movie as a love letter to ‘70s late night talk shows and haunted horror films that take on the airwaves like the BBC’s ‘90s classic Ghostwatch. David Dasmalchian stars as Jack Delroy, a talk show host who plans a Halloween special like no other in an effort to tackle plummeting ratings, unaware that he is about to unleash evil into the living rooms of America. The film works like a kind of found footage rediscovery of a night when TV went very badly wrong. It’s a tightly scripted and beautifully realized period piece that’s full of atmosphere and plenty of genuine spooks. Believe the hype.
Read our Late Night With the Devil review.
19. Host (2020)
Best watched on your laptop, headphones on and lights out, Host was the pandemic lockdown phenomenon that had everyone suddenly afraid to go on Zoom. Directed by Rob Savage and written by Savage, Jed Shepherd and Gemma Hurley, Host sees six friends get together for their weekly video call and this time they’re doing a séance. Bad idea. When the friends inadvertently summon a deadly demon, they suddenly find themselves with more than a nasty case of the flu to worry about. Host is an inspired and effective example of online horror that more than stands up to repeat viewing. It will scare the life out of you and it’s only an hour long. Win win.
For more, read ou selection of the best found footage horror movies.
18. Hellbender (2021)
There are some creators who are, frankly, just a little too talented to be entirely trustworthy, and The Adams Family are a perfect example. Hellbender is written, directed, produced, scored and edited by Toby Poser, John Adams and Zelda Adams, who also star, alongside Lulu Adams. A 16-year-old girl has been raised to believe she has a rare illness that necessitates her isolation from the outside world, but when she starts to act out she discovers an insatiable and violent hunger within her and learns the dark secrets of her family's past. The film is a psychedelic folk horror coming-of-age tale; a deeply feminine exploration of the mother-daughter dynamic, issues like chronic illness and genetic lineage, protective mistruths and adolescent transformation, all wrapped up in a gorgeous and visceral presentation of earth magic. It’s an utterly compelling work of independent cinema from the multi-talented family who also brought us The Deeper You Dig.
17. When Evil Lurks (2023)
This Shudder Original is the second horror feature from Argentinian director Demian Rugna, following Terrified, which launched him onto the scene in 2017 (also available on Shudder, and also highly recommended). When Evil Lurks was somewhat of a sensation in 2023, appearing on many critics’ lists of the best horror movies of that year. When two brothers discover that a demonic infection has been festering in a nearby farmhouse, they attempt to evict the victim from their land but fail to adhere to the proper rites of exorcism and their reckless actions trigger an epidemic of possessions across their rural community. A unique look at possession, some excellent performances and genuinely jaw-dropping moments (even children and animals don’t get off lightly) make this one to seek out for anyone looking for quality modern shocks.
16. Speak No Evil (2022)
Directed by Christian Tafdrup, Speak No Evil has gained a reputation as being one of the most shocking and grueling horror movies of the last few years. The film fluctuates between cringe-worthy social politeness and outright terror, revolving around a Danish family who visits a Dutch family they met on a holiday, only for the stay to slowly unravel into a living hell. With an American remake on the horizon from producing powerhouse Blumhouse, this is your call to go back and see where the nightmare began. The motion picture rendering of "I have enough friends," Speak No Evil will mess you up – and it’s well worth the trip.
Ahead of the new version, you should also read our list of the best horror movie remakes.
15. [REC] (2007)
The found footage approach to horror has taken on many subgenres over the years: alien abduction, folk horror, vampires, ghosts, creature features, possessions, to name but a few. And in 2007, Spanish horror film [REC] gave us the ultimate found footage zombie film. Much acclaimed, Paco Plaza and Jaume Balaguero’s movie follows a TV reporter and her cameraman as they accompany firefighters to a Barcelona apartment block where residents are overtaken by an outbreak of violent, bitey aggression. Widely acknowledged as one of the best examples of ‘shaky-cam’ horror filmmaking, [REC] is a genuinely terrifying ride right up to its now-iconic closing moments.
And if you like the first one, the other three films in the series are all on Shudder too. You can also check out our [REC] review and our list of the best zombie horror movies of all time too.
14. Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979)
From one of the all-time great Italian horror directors, Lucio Fulci, comes Zombie Flesh Eaters (AKA Zombie, AKA Zombi 2), which was an entry on the UK’s ‘video nasties’ list and a gory and garish example of the undead brain-munching subgenre. In the film, an abandoned boat in New York Harbour unleashes a deadly flesh crazed cargo and leaves the Big Apple swarming with the living dead. Guillermo Del Toro calls Zombie Flesh Eaters a “masterpiece of madness”, and it’s a movie that, 45 years later, still looks great, with plenty of dripping practical zombie make-up and a genuinely iconic underwater sequence where an actor battles a real life shark. What more could you want?
If you need more Fulci in your life, Shudder also has The Beyond (1981), Manhattan Baby (1982), The New York Ripper (1982) and The Psychic (1977).
13. Ju-On: The Grudge (2002)
Directed by Takashi Shimizu, The Grudge is the third film in the Ju-On series and was the first to be released theatrically. Capitalizing on the J-horror craze that arguably started in 1998 with Hideo Nakata’s Ringu, Ju-On: The Grudge revolves around a haunted house where a man killed his family, and almost works as an anthology structure as their ghosts go on to systematically curse anyone who enters their home. Expect terrifying black-haired ghost women under the bed sheets, creepy children appearing discomfitingly at elevator windows and lots of untrustworthy cats. This is a very spooky shocker that’s not to be missed by any fan of East Asian horror.
Read our Ju-On: The Grudge review and if you enjoy this installment, Shudder also has three more entries in the Ju-On series: Ju-On: The Curse (2000), Ju-On: The Curse 2 (2000) and Ju-On: The Grudge 2 (2003). You can also check out our guide to the best haunted house movies.
12.Thirst (2009)
Legendary Korean director Park Chan-wook has brought us so many incredible genre films over the years, and in 2009 he turned his hand to vampires. Thirst follows Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a respected priest who volunteers for an experimental procedure that may lead to a cure for a deadly virus. When he becomes infected and dies, a mysterious blood transfusion brings him back as a vampire. Torn between his faith and his new ‘life’, Sang-hyun finds himself lusting after not only blood but also the wife of his childhood friend, Tae-ju (Kim Ok-vin). This is a highly charged and meditative approach to the vampire subgenre, and one of Park Chan-wook’s best. Sexy Korean vampires FTW.
Read our Thirst review and check out our guide to the best vampire movies. For more Park Chan-wook, check out Old Boy (2003) and Lady Vengeance (2005), both also on Shudder.
11. Pin (1988)
One of the more bizarre movies on our list, director Sandor Stern’s Pin revolves around Leon and Ursula, an emotionally neglected brother and sister who take comfort in an ‘imaginary’ friend taking the form of an anatomical dummy named Pin that belongs to their doctor father. Unfortunately, the doll begins to take over Leon's life, and his sister's life as well. This Canadian horror film was released direct-to-video and has gone on to garner a cult following thanks to its singular storytelling, subtle tone and stellar performances from David Hewlett and Cynthia Preston. It’s distinctive, deeply sinister and a brilliantly refreshing departure from some of the more ‘generic’ late-’80s horror movies.
10. Antiviral (2012)
The debut feature from Brandon Cronenberg, Antiviral catapulted the director onto the genre scene in 2012 (only for him to go pretty quiet until the release of his sophomore effort Possessor in 2020, followed by Infinity Pool in 2023). Antiviral is a stark and grim sci-fi look at celebrity obsession that follows Syd March, an employee at a clinic that sells injections of live viruses harvested from sick celebs to their obsessed fans. March is played by Caleb Landry Jones (Get Out, Nitram) in a mesmerizing and disturbing performance that, along with some pretty gruesome medical body horror, will stay with you long after the end of the movie. It’s a masterful piece of work, if not one you necessarily want to watch over your dinner.
Read our Antiviral review, before checking out our Infinity Pool review.
9. Revenge
Director Coralie Fargeat announced her stunning cinematic arrival with this blood-soaked rape revenge flick starring Matilda Lutz (A Classic Horror Story, Final Cut). Lutz plays Jen, a young woman enjoying a getaway with her lover that gets suddenly disrupted when his friends arrive for an unannounced hunting trip, and a vicious act leaves her left for dead. Unfortunately for the men, Jen survives and reemerges with a relentless, wrathful intent: revenge. Beautifully shot in color-drenched vibrance and with some excruciating moments of violence and gore, Revenge is a roller-coaster feminist scream of fury into the faces of the audience right up to its explosive conclusion.
Fargeat's latest film premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival to rave reactions so check out our The Substance review too for more.
8. Lords of Chaos (2018)
As musical biographies go, Lords of Chaos is at the more extreme end of the spectrum. Adapted from the 1998 book of the same name (subtitled ‘The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground’) and directed by Jonas Akerlund, the film is the (somewhat) true story of Mayhem and the Norwegian black metal scene. Rory Culkin is spectacular in the role of Mayhem co-founder Euronymous, and the film follows the band’s shocking efforts to put themselves on the map. As their publicity stunts become more violent and the band is plagued by savage rivalry, tragedy and murder, the lines between show and reality begin to blur. Rocket Man this ain’t.
7. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Towards the end of the ‘60s, George A. Romero made one of the most defining zombie movies of the genre, a film that still resonates to this day. Starring Duane Jones, Karl Hardman and Judith O’Dea, Night of the Living Dead sees a ragtag group barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to hide from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls. Through its vision of slow-walking corpses and classic lines like, “They’re coming to get you, Barbara”, the film informed the zombie subgenre but, like many of the best horror movies, it’s not just about what it appears to be on the surface. As well as the marauding undead, it’s about people under siege, claustrophobia and paranoia, power struggles and American civil rights, and over 50 years later the closing moments still pack a punch that will leave audiences reeling.
If Romero is your bag, there are plenty of his other movies available to stream on Shudder: Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985), The Crazies (1973), Season of the Witch (1972) and Martin (1977).
6. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
This horror-adjacent (but almost undefinable) masterpiece directed by Peter Weir, based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Joan Lindsay, perfectly captures the oppressive peril of the Australian outback, set at the turn of the 20th century when during the titular picnic, some students and a teacher from a prim and proper girls' school vanish without a trace. The hazy visuals, all washed out colors and gossamer lighting – cinematographer Russell Boyd won the BAFTA for his work on the film – create a kind of dreamlike fairytale. It’s a full-on mood. Plus the school’s headmistress Mrs Appleyard is a wonderful villain. Picnic at Hanging Rock is a stifling exploration of class, femininity and group hysteria, and a quintessential example of Australian cinema.
5. Suspiria (1977)
What does it mean to be a witch? Italian maestro Dario Argento is here to show us, with his classic balletic horror. Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Bannion, a young American newcomer to a prestigious German dance academy who, following a series of murders, comes to realize that the school is a front for a coven of witches. The first film in Argento’s ‘Three Mothers’ trilogy, Suspiria is remarkable for its witchy scares, lush visuals, prog rock score from Goblin, and its continuing influence on the wider horror genre. It’s a stunning example of ‘70s horror and a film that looms large in the portfolio of a man who has created so many greats.
For more Argento on Shudder, see: Deep Red (1975), Phenomena (1985), Tenebrae (1982), Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971), Opera (1987) and his latest, Dark Glasses (2022).
Check out our ranking of the best witch movies too.
4. The Changeling (1980)
In one of the great haunted house films, the wonderful George C. Scott (The Exorcist 3, Anatomy of a Murder) stars as John Russell, a composer who moves to a secluded Victorian mansion after a tragic accident leaves him consumed by grief. Expertly directed by Peter Medak, The Changeling is – like all the best ghost stories – terrifying and heartbreaking in equal measure. Sequences involving a bouncing ball and an explosive seance have gone down in horror history as iconic spectral moments, and as the film goes on it unleashes an even more disturbing secret than just the potential of a supernatural presence. A much-celebrated classic, this is a must-watch.
3. Maniac (1980)
There’s nothing quite like a proper dive into human depravity by spending time with a serial killer, and there are few serial killers quite like Frank Zito from Maniac. Joe Spinell’s Frank is a twisted psychopath whose killing spree is fuelled by strange delusions, and who displays his victims' scalps on mannequins in his apartment. Director William Lustig made the film on a micro-budget and much of it was shot guerilla style around the streets of New York City, and the film also stars cult-horror star Caroline Munro as the photographer who strikes up a fragile relationship with Frank. A gloriously grimy slice of early-’80s New York sleaze and graphic violence, Maniac is a must.
2. Possession (1981)
If early-’80s Germany, marital strife, doppelgangers and Lovecraftian sex monsters are your thing then Possession is the film for you. The phenomenal Isabelle Adjani and ‘scream queen’ Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Event Horizon, In the Mouth of Madness) star as Anna and Mark, a couple whose marriage unravels amidst adultery, madness and cosmic horror. Directed by Andrzej Zulawski, the film was banned in the UK as one of the notorious ‘video nasties’ and is a straight-up masterpiece; horror cinema that’s truly experiential and hysterical (not in the funny way). As Shudder says: with its pulsating score, visceral imagery, and some of the most haunting performances ever captured on screen, Possession is cinematic delirium at its most intoxicating.
1. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
The one that started the legend, introducing us to Leatherface and his family of cannibalistic degenerates, and one of the most notorious films in cinema history. Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre changed the face of horror on its release and was widely banned; despite it featuring far less graphic blood and gore than many of its horror counterparts, the visceral shock and violence, a grimy overtone that you can practically smell through the screen, and the sense of outright dread that suffuses the film makes it absolutely terrifying. Like a lean piece of meat, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is an exercise in pure terror, a cinematic punch to the gut – brutal, abrupt and painful. One of the greatest horror movies – if not movies, full stop – ever made.
For more scares, check out our guides to the best Netflix horror movies, the best horror movie sequels, and the best horror comedies. If that's not your thing, we've also got a breakdown of the best horror movies for scaredy cats too.
